Felton resident Dr. Ann Lopez dedicates her life to the struggling dilemma of farmworkers on both sides of the border. To celebrate this work she will receive the Democratic Ideals Award this weekend.
The Crosson North County Democratic Club will honor Lopez during a fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, May 7, at the Scotts Valley home of Laura Gonzalez. The award exemplifies dedication to the improvement of the lives of others.
“I am just completely overwhelmed and honored,” said Lopez this week in a telephone interview. “I would never have expected this in a million years.”
A Felton resident since 1979, Lopez exposes the human side of the migration circuit from small farms in west central Mexico to California’s corporate agribusiness.
She is executive director at the Center for Farmworker Families, a non-profit.
The idea to present Lopez with this first-ever award resulted from a “riveting and exciting” presentation before the Democratic club, according to organization president Tim Willoughby.
“She’s getting the public to know and understand the plight of the farmworkers,” he said. “At the same time she’s helping them with their basic needs.”
Lopez began her humanitarian journey after teaching science for many years at San Jose City College. She then wrote her PhD. thesis on the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and how that 1994 law impacted small farmers in Mexico.
“I was absolutely appalled with the human suffering,” said Lopez, adding that prior to the law the Mexican government subsidized farmers so they could afford basic needs. After the law, she said, prices fell and jobs moved north to the United States.
“They (farmworkers) are making half what they did in the past,” she said. “They can stay on the farm and starve, go to Mexico City and look for work, or make an undocumented border cross (to work) and send money home.”
Lopez said she is troubled with the current political attitude of blaming immigrants for the nation’s problems. “It’s cruel and inhumane,” she said.
To demonstrate, Lopez leads small groups of people to Salinas to see first-hand what life is like for farmworkers.
“It’s life-changing,” Willoughby said.
About 10 years ago, Lopez wrote The Farmworkers’ Journey about how corporate agribusiness operates, how binational institutions and laws promote the suppression of Mexican farmworkers, and how migration affects family life.
Through intimate interviews with farmworkers, Lopez’ book provides a rare insider’s view of the migrant farmworkers’ binational circuit.
Lopez said she originally planned to teach at UC Santa Cruz after taking her doctorate degree, but things changed after exploring the lives of farmers in Mexico.
Her mindset became, “If the public knows what I know they wouldn’t tolerate this kind of abuse.”
